The People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) has demanded the immediate release on bail of its Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Sam Karl-Marx Makokha W’Mugeni, who has reportedly spent nearly a year on remand over a treason-related charge.
PFF Secretary General Harold Kaija accused the Ugandan government of targeting Makokha because of his political affiliation and support for opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye.
In a statement, Kaija said Makokha was arrested at Entebbe International Airport while travelling to Addis Ababa and subsequently charged with misprision of treason, an offence the party maintains is politically motivated.
He linked the case to the prosecution of PFF chairman and lawyer Erias Lukwago, describing both cases as part of what he called a broader campaign against Besigye and his supporters.
“This is not the first time Sam has tasted Museveni’s jails,” Kaija said, recalling Makokha’s previous arrest in Kenya in July 2024.
According to the PFF secretary general, Makokha was arrested in Kisumu alongside 35 other comrades on July 24, 2024, before being transferred to Uganda, where he remained in detention until October 31, 2024, when he and others secured bail at the International Crimes Division (ICD).
Kaija said the case was subsequently dismissed, after which Makokha returned to political activism in Uganda.
However, the PFF official alleged that Makokha was arrested again after being nominated to contest for the Busia Municipality parliamentary seat, preventing him from campaigning ahead of the election.
He claimed the detention denied Makokha an opportunity to address rallies and reach voters, contributing to his eventual electoral defeat.
Kaija further criticised the handling of Makokha’s bail application, alleging that Justice Baguma had failed to schedule a hearing for months despite the prolonged detention.
“One year on remand without trial, without bail, without a hearing date,” he said, questioning the circumstances surrounding the continued detention.
The PFF secretary general also outlined Makokha’s political background, describing him as a former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) youth chairman who later relocated to Norway, where he helped establish diaspora chapters supporting the opposition movement.
Kaija said Makokha eventually returned to Uganda because the party needed more members actively involved in domestic political activities.
The PFF is now demanding that the authorities release Makokha on bail and that Justice Baguma immediately schedules a hearing of his application.
The allegations made by Kaija were not accompanied by a response from the prosecution or the judiciary in the statement.